Farmers Begin Harvesting After Wet Spring, Dry Summer

Updated: 10/03/2013 8:24 PM KSTP.com
By: Tim Sherno

Minnesota crops got a late start, thanks to a soggy spring. Some farmers in southern Minnesota were unable to plant this year.

Dave Nicolai from the University of Minnesota extension described the spring as difficult. Nicolai says current production estimates for Minnesota farms range from 160 to 200 bushels an acre, "given the challenges of the year, it would be nice to have it at a higher level, but not bad."

Bruce Peterson farms outside of Northfield. He says his early harvesting is slightly smaller than usual, "we've just been running for a couple of days and early indications say it's down about 8-10 percent of long term averages."

Even though crops have enjoyed warmer than normal temperatures in the past weeks, Peterson says he'd like to get his corn out of the fields by the end of the month, "I've farmed long enough to remember the Halloween Blizzard. So we'd like to be done. Late October is good."